Dwight Levens Jr. Earns the Certified Education Technology Leader Designation

Dwight Levens, Jr., executive director for Technology Services with Birmingham Public Schools, recently earned the Certified Education Technology Leader designation by passing a rigorous certification exam.

The CETL certification, awarded by the Consortium for School Networking, signifies that Levens mastered the knowledge and skills needed to bring 21st century technology to K-12 school systems.

Take a Walk Along Birmingham’s Beautiful Nature Trails

Looking for things to do to enjoy the warm weather? Visit the Rouge River Trail Corridor. The nature walking trail runs alongside the river from Booth Park to Fairway Park, and around Quarton Lake. No motorized vehicles are allowed.

Watch for Master Plan Updates

August will be another active month in the ongoing city-wide master plan process.

The planning consultants from DPZ Co Design are preparing for a workshop with the Planning Board where the team will start reviewing and vetting the first draft of what will eventually become the master plan document.

Preparation for the Planning Board workshop comes on the heels of the busy Master Plan Drop-In Clinic, that was held last month in downtown Birmingham. Hundreds of people visited the drop-in clinic to meet with city leaders and the planning team, helping envision Birmingham’s next 20 years. In addition to the drop-in clinic, public engagement in July included the final submissions of a second survey.

Looking ahead, the planning team expects to present the first draft of the Master Plan document to the City Commission and Planning Board at the end of September. The final version of the Master Plan is due in January, to be followed by a thorough vetting process before adopting it by the middle of 2020.

You can follow the latest developments with the city-wide Master Plan at www.thebirminghamplan.com and on the city website.

Aerobatic Teams Fill the Skies at OCIA Open House & Air Show

The Phillips 66 Aerostars will once again tear into the skies at 250 mph over the Oakland County International Airport Open House & Air Show in four Extra 300L aerobatic planes. They will join other aerial performers at the Sunday, Aug. 11.

Admission is free. There is a $5 parking fee per vehicle.

Park Street Reconstruction Project Outlook for this Week

For the week of Aug. 5, the northern section of Park Street nearest to Oakland will be closed to traffic so crews can work on that section of the project. The closure of Park Street nearest to Oakland will not affect the normal operations of the Park Street parking structure.

Residents will be updated on next steps in the project once crews complete the work on the northern section of Park nearest to Oakland. Weather permitting, the project is anticipated to take four to five weeks.

Please contact the Engineering Department at 248-530-1850 for additional information.

Local Sweet Spot Featured in Local Business News

It’s been a circuitous path, but John “Ivan” Zaryckyj has reached his longtime goal of owning a neighborhood sweet shop.

The Beverly Hills resident and his family recently opened Splitz ‘N’ Blitz, which sells ice cream, custard, sodas, candy and a variety of desserts, on East Merrill in Birmingham. The shop is located in the space formerly occupied by Sweet Thing, a candy store, and is next door to the restaurant 220 Merrill. Read more.